In a chilling discovery, two bodies were found in the wheel well of a JetBlue Airbus A320 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday night, sparking a federal investigation into this alarming security breach. The unsettling incident came to light during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection after Flight 1801 landed at 11:10 p.m., arriving from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
The airline confirmed the tragic finding, which was made by a gate technician who noticed two unresponsive males in the aircraft’s landing gear compartment. Law enforcement officials categorized the incident as a “Signal 7,” indicating deceased persons. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carey Codd reported that the identities of the deceased remain unknown. Autopsies will be conducted by the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the causes of death.
Timeline of Events
Flight data reveals that the aircraft had a busy schedule on Monday, starting with a 1:10 a.m. departure from Kingston, Jamaica. Throughout the day, it made stops in New York City, Salt Lake City, and finally returned to JFK before heading to Fort Lauderdale on its final leg.
Stowaway Risks and Dangers
This incident echoes a similar tragedy just two weeks earlier when a body was discovered in the wheel bay of a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Maui. Stowaways often attempt to hide in landing gear compartments, unaware of the extreme dangers they face. These spaces are not only confined but also expose individuals to fatal risks, including freezing temperatures, oxygen deprivation, and the mechanical dangers of retracted landing gear.
A Growing Concern
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has documented multiple cases of stowaways attempting to enter the U.S. via landing gear compartments. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these attempts end in tragedy due to the harsh conditions at high altitudes.
The investigation into how the two individuals accessed the JetBlue aircraft undetected is ongoing. This case raises pressing questions about airport security protocols and the measures in place to prevent such breaches.
Our thoughts are with the families of the victims as authorities work diligently to uncover the details surrounding this incident.
Source: @abcnewslive
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